Ace Attorney: Trial de Novo
by DarkenedFantasy
Summary: Shortly after their victory in solving the UR-1 incident, the Wright Anything Agency is sent back into the legal fray. But the cases they face this time have them seriously questioning their motives and their actions. Is finding the truth really worth permanently damaging the psyche, and forcibly dragging the ghosts of cases past out of the Dark Age of the Law?
1. Death and the Theatre

**Disclaimer: **Phoenix Wright and all characters associated with the Ace Attorney franchise belong to CAPCOM and their relevant copyright holders, not to me. Any OCs used belong to me.

* * *

_Not every demon we face is clearly seen…_

The knock of the stage manager on the starred door received no response. "Miss Hamme, are you in?"

No answer. A second knock, a second summoning. Silence was the only reply.

_They arise when we least expect them._

Frowning in confusion and concern, she proceeded to the stage.

_And the brighter the spotlight…_

The sight that awaited her took her breath away. Lea Hamme, lead female actress of the Bard's Stars Touring Company, was swinging from a noose over the stage, one of her coworkers walking away from the scene like a member of the undead.

_The darker the shadows that emerge…_

Unable to summon the fortitude to do anything else, stage manager Adrian Andrews let out a shriek.

"No… No! Not this! Not again! I can't watch it again!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Let me be clear in saying that this is not how I perceive AA6. This is a series of fancases that happen to be set post-Dual Destinies. I will be posting the Court Record here in the bottom, complete with profiles and evidence. This is also where I will post any links to any music I might deem thematically appropriate for certain moments of the case. Just to preserve that classic 'playing through the cases' feel. At any rate, I know this chapter is short, but I hope you enjoy the story.


	2. Courtroom Prelude -Turn About the Stage-

**Disclaimer:** Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney, and all associated copyrights are the property of Capcom and their respective copyright owners.

* * *

**May 3rd, 9:45am  
District Courthouse  
Defendant Lobby No. 1**

Something about standing in the Defendant Lobby never seemed to fail to make Apollo Justice nervous, and today was no exception. In fact, not only was he nervous, he was absolutely lost inside his own head as he flipped over the bare-bones notes the police had allowed Mr. Wright to make. The case was initially supposed to be his, but another case came up- one for which he required Athena's assistance. Which left Apollo as the lucky lawyer left to handle this particular trial.

_All we really have is information about our client and the victim. _He grumbled, shoving his perfectly-gelled brown 'demon horns' down into submission before letting them pop up again. _No witnesses, no murder weapon, no autopsy report, nothing. Payne must be playing hardball-_

"Hey Apoooooool-lo!"

_SMACK!_

The sudden, sharp pain in his head drew Apollo's attention in front of him, where his assistant and sister, Trucy Wright, was standing with her hands on her hips as she huffed in exasperation. "Snap out of it! What's up with you, did you not get enough sleep or something?"

Apollo heaved a sigh of frustration, ignoring the young magician's piercing glare. _Honestly, no. I didn't. Considering I was up all night looking over what little information we have about the case at hand, how could I sleep?_

_SMACK!_

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Trucy exclaimed, now tapping her foot impatiently. Her expression shifted from anger to concern as she folded her arms over her chest. "I'm just trying to be a good sister, being concerned for your health and all. What's with you zoning out right before the big trial?"

The trial. Apollo gulped at the very thought of it. Even despite all he had faced, the lack of preparation he had before today was unnerving him. _Ugh. I wish she hadn't reminded me of the trial. Lea Hamme, famed ingenue, was found swinging from a noose over the stage at the People's Theater near the park. And suspected as her murderer is…_

"Hey Apollo, look sharp! We want our client to see our professional side, after all!"

Apollo grimaced at the irony of his flamboyantly-clothed sister, who was currently bouncing on her tiptoes with a broad grin, lecturing him about looking professional. He soon straightened his posture and bearing as his client was walked in by a police escort, his nose buried deep in what appeared to be a script.

_And there he is. The 'leading man' of our murder mystery. Cress Inpax, more famously known by his stage name, Desmond Moore._ Apollo thought to himself, giving Cress a once-over.

Cress was a very tall man. His height was easily the most noticeable thing about him. Tall and lean, he would look lanky if not for his toned muscles, which were clearly accentuated by his tight black pants. He paired said pants with a white long-sleeved shirt and a blue-and-white wave-patterned vest. His long, dark, wavy hair was kept well-tamed and perfectly framing his face. He certainly didn't look like a man in his forties, considering the apparent softness and smoothness of his skin.

_It's no wonder he still gets cast as leading men, with a face like that. I bet the girls go crazy over him. _A look at Trucy's face told him in an instant that she was starstruck from the sight of their client. _He's certainly roped in Trucy… Ugh._

Despite having been lead directly to his attorney, Mr. Inpax had not addressed Apollo yet. Something which Apollo tried to rectify. "E-Excuse me?"

His response was a finger to his face and a sharp "Shh! I'm trying to get this internalized…"

The stars dancing in Trucy's eyes grew even more apparent. "Wow! He's so devoted to his work, isn't he?"

Apollo barely managed to force himself to stifle his groan. _So devoted that he hasn't dropped character yet. Does he think he's still in merrye olde Englande with that faux-Brit?_

Trucy's expression became pensive as she said, "You know, you could learn a thing or two from him, Apollo!"

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Trucy shrugged. "I'm just saying, the least you could do is avoid spacing out before your cue…"

Another groan barely contained. _So I should follow the example of the man lost in his script to learn 'how not to space out'. Right. _His heart thudded painfully in his chest as his thoughts returned to the trial at hand. _Ugh… I can't explain why, but I just have a bad feeling about this case…_

"Good morrow, Mr. Justice!"

The sudden, bright hailing from his client startled Apollo so badly he let out a cry of surprise and nearly dropped his Court Record. _When did he stop reading?_ As soon as he calmed his racing heart, Apollo replied, "G-Good morning, Mr. Inpax."

The script now closed and held at his side, Mr. Inpax was flashing an almost blindingly bright smile at his defense attorney. "Everything's all set for you to come to my defense today, I'm sure, correct?"

_What is with those weird inflections? Does he think he's still reciting his lines or something?_ "As ready as they can be, all things considered."

Cress nodded, his mouth quirking to the side as though he were becoming lost in thought. "I must say that shocked was I to learn you'd take my case, for such a client am I that I feared that you could not afford me."

_Hey, you were the one hiring from Mr. Wright's agency, not the other way around!_ "Well, the switch in attorneys was a bit (_More like a lot._) last minute, but… Something's bothering me about this case. Why it's being tried as a murder, and not something more likely…"

Cress's expression became dark, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "So you thought so too…" Shaking his head as if to clear it, Cress clapped his hands together and flashed the same bright smile from earlier once again. "Wonderful! So good to see I'm not the _only_ competent person around here!" He pulled his script from under his arm, and held it open at an arm's length, looking slightly upward as he said, voice dripping with melodrama, "Now, then, shall we travel, you and I, to courtroom battle, victory and truth?"

It took everything in Apollo's being to avoid kneading his forehead at this display. _This guy has a flair for the dramatic. And an unhealthy obsession with that fantasy cable show. I swear, if he speaks everything in pentameter today, there might be another murder victim._

The whirring and clacking of wooden instruments foretold the arrival of Mr. Hat to Trucy's side, whereupon he spoke, "Indeed! To victory!"

And now Apollo's groan refused to be stifled. "Not you too, Trucy…"

"Aww, why not?" Trucy asked, knocking on her hat. "It's fun!"

"Exactly!" Cress concurred, back to his smiling self. "We cannot ruin a poor girl's fun, after all!"

"This is a murder trial. We're not supposed to be having fun." Apollo deadpanned.

"Spoilsport." Trucy pouted, putting Mr. Hat back in his place.

"Yeah. Spoilsport." Cress agreed, mimicking Trucy's pout.

_Great. Now I'm the bad guy…_ Apollo groaned. _I'm not too happy about going into this trial completely blind, but if there's one thing Mr. Wright has taught me, it's that the darkest trials are when the brightest contradictions shine. …Ugh, great, now the melodrama has affected me too._

"Would the defense please proceed into the courtroom?"

The bailiff's summons sent Apollo's heart crashing in his chest again. All his Chords of Steel exercises weren't availing him any real confidence today, but he had to force a smile and a confident voice if he had any hope of victory. So with one last hearty "I'm Apollo Justice, and I'm FINE!", he proceeded into the courtroom with the rest of his team.

A new trial was about to begin.

* * *

**Court Record**

Attorney's Badge: My badge. I polish it every day so that it shines its best!

* * *

**Profiles**

Apollo Justice: Simply put, me. And I'm fine!

Trucy Wright: Mr. Wright's adopted daughter, and my sister. She's one of the last remaining magicians of Troupe Gramarye, and a pretty decent one at that.

Lea Hamme: The victim, age 36. A fairly well-known stage and operatic actor/singer before her untimely death. Didn't socialize much.

Cress Inpax: My client, age 45. Also a well-known treader of the stage, more commonly known as Desmond Moore. Accused of strangling Lea Hamme.


	3. Begin the Trial! -Turn About the Stage-

**Disclaimer:** Ace Attorney and all related copyrights belong to their respective copyright holders. Any OCs involved in this story belong to me.

* * *

**May 2nd, 10:00am**

**District Courthouse**

**Courtroom No. 1**

The murmuring of the gallery was a dull roar rather than a quiet trickling of comments, necessitating three incredibly loud bangs from the judge's gavel to bring the crowd in order. Normally Apollo didn't pay attention to the gallery at all, but today, he couldn't help but notice an increased number of people ready to watch him flounder his way through his next case. _Then again, considering Mr. Inpax's stage fame, it isn't surprising that he'd draw a crowd… But I could swear I see attorney's badges glinting in that gallery, and Mr. Wright and Athena are busy with their case, so why…?_

The judge's old and grave voice jarred Apollo out of his thoughts. "Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Cress Inpax. Is the prosecution…?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow as the judge trailed off before turning his attention to the prosecutor's bench. For once, it stood empty. At this, he couldn't help but smirk. _C'mon, Payne, I know you and your brothers are pathetic, but not even showing up?_

"That's weird that he wouldn't show up." Trucy mused. "Usually he loves any chance to try to prove he's better than you or Daddy… So why isn't he here?"

Apollo shrugged. "Beats me. Though the more help we have in this case, the better."

The judge closed his eyes and shook his head. "Well, in the absence of the prosecution, I suppose the trial will have to be postponed until tomo-"

The sharp crack of a whip against the prosecutor's desk made Apollo, Trucy, and the judge jump in their seats. The female voice that followed the noise was equally as sharp as the sound preceding it. "You foolishly bang your gavel too soon, you foolish fool!"

Another look at the prosecutor's bench revealed that it was no longer empty. Standing there was a woman in her mid-twenties, her silver hair cut to chin-length. Clad in what seemed to be quite aristocratic clothes, she closed her eyes with a condescending smile and said, "The prosecution stands ready."

Apollo's brow furrowed in confusion. _Who's the crazy lady with the whip?_

A loud _CRACK_ and a sudden, sharp sting of pain snapped Apollo out of his thoughts and made him cry out in pain. Looking for the source of the pain and the noise, he found the prosecution standing at the bench with her whip in her hands. "What the-?"

Another loud _CRACK_ occurred as the leather of the whip met the wood of the bench. "Silence, you fool! I was promised the chance to crush Mr. Phoenix Wright today in court, but now it seems he has run away from the challenge. Nonetheless, I look forward to crushing his protege, Mr. Apollo Justice."

Apollo blinked in confusion. _How does this lady know my name?_

The prosecutor 'hmph'ed at his expression. "So it seems he _hasn't_ told you everything yet. My name is Franziska von Karma. Remember it well, for it is my name that will be printed triumphantly in tomorrow's newspapers after I crush your foolish case here today!"

Determination flared in Apollo's heart, dispelling his nerves. _Like I'm going to let that happen!_ "The defense is ready as well, Your Honor! And we're fine!"

The judge nodded. "Very well. If both the prosecution and the defense are ready, let us hear the opening-"

The whip lashed for the judge, silencing his presiding with a cry of pain. Franziska gripped at her shoulder, her eyes closed as if in thought as she said, "Death. It happens to all who walk this earth at some point. Some have the luxury of choosing their means of death. Most have it chosen for them. The case we face today is one where death was chosen by another person, but framed to appear as if it were the victim's own choice. Mark my words, Apollo Justice, you will not win this case."

If the confident smirk and outstretched hand were meant as a goading challenge, Apollo was certain it was working. His own confident smirk returned to his face as he thought, _We'll just see about that, von Karma!_

A tugging at his sleeve drew Apollo's attention to Trucy, who looked more nervous than he'd felt in the lobby. "Be careful Apollo! Daddy told me about this lady. He said she was obsessed with winning. She's really smart and likes to set up traps in witness's testimonies, and if you're not careful-" she clapped her hands together for emphasis- "SMACK! She catches you, and your case is shot."

Franziska cracked her whip on the bench, drawing all attention in the courtroom to her again. "If it pleases this foolish court, I'd like to get the trial underway by summoning the lead detective on this case to the stand."

* * *

**Court Record**

Attorney's Badge: My badge. I polish it every day so that it shines its best!

* * *

**Profiles**

Apollo Justice: Simply put, me. And I'm fine!

Trucy Wright: Mr. Wright's adopted daughter, and my sister. She's one of the last remaining magicians of Troupe Gramarye, and a pretty decent one at that.

Franziska von Karma: A prodigious prosecutor from Germany. She seems to have it out for my boss, for some reason. Crazy lady with a whip.

Lea Hamme: The victim, age 36. A fairly well-known stage and operatic actor/singer before her untimely death. Didn't socialize much.

Cress Inpax: My client, age 45. Also a well-known treader of the stage, more commonly known as Desmond Moore. Accused of strangling Lea Hamme.


	4. Skye's Summary -Turn About the Stage

**Disclaimer: **Ace Attorney and all related copyrights belong to their respective copyright owners. Any OCs belong to me.

* * *

Apollo was not particularly surprised to see Ema Skye ascending the witness stand. What did surprise him was the absolutely foul scowl resting on her face as her hand sat on her hip. _What is with Ema today? Did she forget her Snackoos or something?_

Franziska was back to grabbing her shoulder as she said, "Witness, state your name and occupation."

Apollo felt the frost on Ema's tone as she replied, "Ema Skye. Homicide detective."

Franziska cracked her whip on her desk as a prelude, then held out her hand invitingly. "Detective Skye, If you would enlighten this court of fools as to what you witnessed at the crime scene, we can get this foolish trial finished."

Ema nodded in understanding. "If everyone would please take a look at this photo…"

She produced a large manila envelope, which she then handed to the bailiff, who took it over to Apollo. Apollo gingerly pulled out his copy of the picture, and saw the image of Lea Hamme in her hangman's noose, her feet easily ten feet off the ground. The bar from which her noose was suspended was about on the same level as the guard rail for what seemed to be a catwalk, just out of the audience's line of sight.

By now, Ema had drawn everyone's attention to her digital display of the same photo. "This photo was snapped as soon as we arrived on the scene. Now," she paused for a moment as she pulled up the victim's autopsy report, "According to the coroner's examination, the cause of death was strangulation. We know for sure her time of death had to be sometime between 4:30pm and 5:20pm. But, while we may not have an exact time of death, what we _do_ have is a murder weapon." She produced a bag containing a length of rope fashioned in a noose from the container at her side. "This rope was the very one coiled around the victim's neck. No fingerprints were pulled from it."

**OBJECTION!**

"Then why was my client apprehended? If there are no fingerprints, you don't have any direct evidence that he-"

**OBJECTION!**

_CRACK! _

Apollo recoiled in pain as the lash of Franziska's whip found his exposed arm. The prosecutor leaned on her desk with her finger wagging at him as though she were scolding a small child. "Tsk tsk tsk. So impatient for your impending doom. How foolish." Her posture straightened. "Your Honor, if you would accept this evidence, then we may have Detective Skye testify about the apprehension of the suspect." Her whip lashed against her desk. "_Now_, you fool."

The kind old judge stammered for a few moments while he recovered from the shock of the loud noise, and said, "Yes, of course. This court accepts these articles into evidence."

_Crime Scene Photo, Autopsy Report and Rope added to the Court Record._

_**WITNESS TESTIMONY: Arrival at the Scene**_

Ema's bearing remained serious as she delivered her testimony. "We received the call from the scene at 5:20pm. The call stated that someone had been killed, and that we needed to get to the scene right away. By the time we got there, the victim had been hanging there for at least fifteen minutes. We found the suspect at the scene, and apprehended him right away."

Franziska smirked, curtsying. "So you see, Your Honor, there is little mistaking the fact that the defendant strangled the victim." She leaned on her desk once again. "Well, Mr. Apollo Justice? Are you ready to admit defeat?"

Apollo's fists banged on his desk. "Not by a long shot!" _Considering how vague that testimony is, it can't possibly stand as the only incriminating evidence…_

The judge turned his attention to the defense. "Very well, Mr. Justice. Begin your cross-examination."

_**CROSS EXAMINATION: Arrival at the Scene**_

"_We received the call from the scene at around 5:20pm."_

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo poked his forehead in thought. "That's quite a precise time."

Ema did not seem amused. "We keep records of this sort of thing, you know. Besides, the timing of the call isn't necessarily important. The contents are."

"_The call stated that someone had been killed, and that we needed to get to the scene right away."_

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo's curiosity was piqued. "What exactly did the person who called you say?"

Ema toyed with her hair thoughtfully. "Well, it was a bit difficult to understand through the sobbing, but I already told you the basic gist. She seemed really distraught."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "She?"

Franziska grabbed at her shoulder. "That would be my witness. She is in a very… _delicate_ state right now. She should not be brought into this trial needlessly."

Apollo sstarted sweating at the now threatening look the prosecutor was giving him. _That's a very weird display of heart from a supposedly ruthless prosecutor…_

"_By the time we got there, the victim had been hanging there for at least fifteen minutes."_

**HOLD IT!**

Apollo crossed his arms with a smirk. "But I thought you said you didn't have an exact time of death."

Ema glared at him. "We arrived on scene at 5:35pm. Our call was received at 5:20pm, so logically speaking, she had to have been hanging there for at least that long. Besides, her death would have happened any time within a three minute span from the moment she was sent to hang."

"Why?" Apollo asked, trying to poke his brain into cooperation. "Why three minutes?"

Ema rolled her eyes. "Well, scientifically speaking, a human will _die_ if they go without air for three minutes. Didn't they teach you that in grade school?"

"Yeah, Apollo, even I knew that!" Trucy chimed in with a smile.

Apollo started sweating. _I'm actually getting schooled by the magician._

"_We found the suspect at the scene, and apprehended him right away."_

**HOLD IT!**

"Why?" Apollo asked, now giving Ema the side-eye. "Why did you apprehend him, aside from the fact that he was at the crime scene? Couldn't he have just stumbled upon it by accident?"

Ema shrugged. "I'm sure you'd like to think that, but unfortunately, that's not possible. If I could draw your attention to this photo…"

Apollo gaped at the image he was seeing. Cress was facing the camera and appeared to be manhandling Lea Hamme, his hands gripped around her shoulders as he shouted at her. _This… is not encouraging…_

The judge blinked in surprise before looking down at Mr. Inpax with a grave look on his face. "Few are the men that I would trust after seeing them treat a lady like that. Shame on you!"

**OBJECTION!**

The judge raised his brows in surprise. "Who was that that just objected?"

Cress cleared his throat. "That would be me, Your Honor. That picture has been taken completely out of context and is being used to form allegations that are slanderous to my charact-"

**OBJECTION!**

This time, the objection was Apollo's. "Mr. Inpax, I'll handle the picture. Trust me." Apollo waited for Cress to begrudgingly nod and seat himself before turning his attention to Ema and clearing his throat. "Anyway. I believe what my client is trying to say is that this picture does not necessarily illustrate that he struggled with the victim on the day of the crime."

Ema was back to twirling her hair in thought. "Well, it is true that this photo was snapped by one of his castmates yesterday. But the bruises on her shoulders match up perfectly with his fingers. And when we apprehended him, after we'd read him his rights, he was grumbling something or other about 'the stupid woman never listened to me'. Pret-ty incriminating stuff, if you ask me."

Apollo drew back in shock. _Dammit, Mr. Inpax, why didn't you tell me about this in the lobby?_

Franziska smirked. "So, it is becoming very clear to you now, Mr. Apollo Justice. Your client's actions and words are echoed a thousand-fold by this picture, and they all speak that he had a motive."

"So it would seem." The judge concurred. "This photo is accepted as relevant evidence."

_Fight Photograph added to Court Record._

Franziska smiled, leaning on her desk once more. "Detective, I believe that is all we needed to hear from you."

Ema nodded. "All right. I'll be in the lab if anyone needs me."

With that, Detective Ema Skye exited the courtroom, leaving Apollo in a cold sweat at the holes she'd just punched in his case. _This is not good. This is not good at all. Why didn't Cress tell me about any of this?_

Still smirking over her desk, Franziska said, "In a case such as this, it seems only fitting we hear what the defendant has to say for himself. The prosecution calls Cress Inpax to the stand."

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo's sweating worsened. "Y-You can't… my client never discussed…"

Franziska only tisked at him again. "Whatever your foolish client foolishly chooses to disclose or not disclose to you is neither my, nor the court's concern. The foolish fool seems foolishly confident enough of his innocence to foolishly testify for himself. I see no reason to stop him from testifying, should he so choose to incriminate himself."

Apollo's fists clenched on the desk as his client stood from his side and fluidly advanced to the witness stand. _Dammit, Cress Inpax! What the hell are you thinking?_

* * *

**Court Record**

Attorney's Badge: My badge. I polish it every day so that it shines its best!

Autopsy Report: Victim: Lea Hamme. COD: Asphyxiation due to strangulation. Estimated TOD: 4:30pm-5:15pm 5/2. Severe but healing bruising found on her face and shoulders.

Crime Scene Photo: A picture of the victim's body suspended over the stage by the flies, sandbags piled on the sides of the stage. She's about ten feet in the air. The fly her noose is tied on is on the same level as the guard rail for the catwalk above the scene.

Fight Photograph: Taken the day before the murder. Shows the victim and the defendant arguing, the defendant holding tightly onto the victim's shoulders.

Rope: The murder weapon. No prints found on it.

* * *

**Profiles**

Apollo Justice: Simply put, me. And I'm fine!

Trucy Wright: Mr. Wright's adopted daughter, and my sister. She's one of the last remaining magicians of Troupe Gramarye, and a pretty decent one at that.

Franziska von Karma: A prodigious prosecutor from Germany. She seems to have it out for my boss, for some reason. Crazy lady with a whip.

Lea Hamme: The victim, age 36. A fairly well-known stage and operatic actor/singer before her untimely death. Didn't socialize much.

Cress Inpax: My client, age 45. Also a well-known treader of the stage, more commonly known as Desmond Moore. Accused of strangling Lea Hamme.

Ema Skye: The lead detective on this case. Surly and addicted to Snackoos, which she seems to like chucking at me.


	5. Cress's Defense -Turn About the Stage-

**Disclaimer: **Ace Attorney and all related copyrights belong to Capcom. Any OCs used belong to me.

* * *

Despite having prosecution, defense, and judge all glaring at him, Cress seemed perfectly calm and detached as he absently flipped through the pages of his script on the witness stand.

Franziska lashed her whip at Cress's hands, dislodging his script from them as she said, "Foolish witness, state your name and occupation."

Cress retrieved his script and laid it on the witness stand before throwing his arms out in a grand, sweeping gesture. "My name is Cress Inpax! Or, more famously, Desmond Moore! I weave songs and tales nightly for a sold-out crowd-"

Though Apollo winced in a moment of sympathetic pain as the whip struck Cress again, he didn't feel the least bit sorry for the fact that his dramatic oration had been cut off.

"What the witness _means_ to say," Franziska began, pulling her whip taut, "is that he is an actor by trade."

Cress nodded, then smirked flirtatiously at the young prosecutor. "Yes. Careful where you're swinging that whip, you might spark something…"

_That one, he asked for._ Apollo thought as his client cried out in pain from yet another lash of the whip.

Franziska's whip was still pulled taut as she said, "Well, Mr. Cress Inpax? Tell us more about the day of the crime. And believe me, if you omit something, you will be punished."

_I don't know whether I should be disturbed by the fact that I'm getting used to that noise or not…_ Apollo thought as Franziska cracked her whip against her desk again for emphasis.

**WITNESS TESTIMONY: The Day of the Crime**

Cress seemed to take a few moments to think over his words before he spoke. "On the day of the murder, I proceeded into my dressing room to begin getting ready for work. By the time I emerged, Lea was already dead. I heard someone screaming, and before I knew it, I was being handcuffed. Really, I don't see why I'm on trial here. I had no reason to kill Lea at all."

Franziska gripped her shoulder in annoyance. "That's all you have to say for yourself? Pathetic." She extended that taunting hand towards her opponent. "Well, Mr. Apollo Justice? Your cross-examination?"

Try as he might, Apollo couldn't hide the fact that he was sweating bullets. _He was quite the cool cucumber up there on the stand. But I can't shake the feeling that something's off in his testimony. It's not readily apparent yet, but... There's only one reason Franziska would've allowed him to take the stand. And that's if she's certain he's going to mess up our case. I've got a bad, bad feeling about this._

**CROSS EXAMINATION: The Day of the Crime**

"_On the day of the murder, I proceeded into my dressing room to begin getting ready for work."_

**HOLD IT!**

"Mr. Inpax, could you possibly go into a bit more detail about what said preparations include?" Apollo asked, looking down at the basic information he had on his client. "Specifically, I need to know what time you arrived at the theater and how long those preparations take."

Cress tapped his chin with his script thoughtfully. "Well, let's see. I arrived at the theater for dress rehearsal about an hour before call time, so I got there around four-thirty. I signed my name on the sign-in sheet, then proceeded to my dressing room."

Franziska produced two stapled-together sheets and handed them to the bailiff. "We happen to have the sign-in sheets from that day on-hand. They have the signatures of all the cast and crew that were present that day. Even Miss Hamme's."

The judge nodded. "Very well. We accept this article as evidence."

_Cast Sign-In added to the Court Record._

After the exchange of information took place, Cress cleared his throat to draw attention back to him. "As far as my preparations go, my costume and make-up are fairly elaborate, as I'm playing an aristocratic character some years older than myself. It takes at least fifteen minutes for me to get all the parts of my costume on, followed by another thirty to layer on the make-up required to age myself a good twenty years, so all together, it takes about forty-five minutes. It'd be a much smoother process if we had costumers and make-up artists, but alas, our budget is simply too small."

_Hmmm… Something about that make-up sounds important. _"Your Honor! The defense requests that this make-up be added into the articles of evidence."

**OBJECTION!**

"What is this foolish foolery? Tell me, Mr. Apollo Justice, why is this make-up important?" Franziska challenged.

Apollo gulped before his thoughts managed to organize themselves. "This make-up provides a potential alibi. We don't know for certain when in this 4:30-5:20pm gap Miss Hamme was strangled. If her murder had occurred any time before 5:15pm, my client would have been unable to commit the crime, as he was still getting ready!"

"You're grasping, Mr. Apollo Justice." Franziska taunted, wagging her finger at him.

The judge nodded in agreement with the prosecution. "I'll allow this evidence to be added, but be warned, Mr. Justice: fail to prove this make-up is connected to anything else in the case aside from a 'potential' alibi, and the punishment will be severe."

_Stage Make-Up added to the Court Record._

"_By the time I emerged, Lea was already dead."_

**HOLD IT!**

"And what time would you say you emerged from your dressing room?" Apollo asked. _Please don't say anything before 5:20pm. Please…_

"Well, I went rushing for the stage at 5:15pm. Being fifteen minutes early is professional standard, after all, and I don't much care for being unprofessional." Cress replied, not once looking up from his script.

Apollo's cold sweat from earlier came back in full force as Franziska leaned over her desk with her wagging, taunting finger. _Crap._

"Whether she was dead or not when I came to the scene, I don't know. She certainly wasn't looking very lively." Cress added, still absently flipping through the pages of his script.

"_I heard someone screaming, and before I knew it, I was being handcuffed."_

**HOLD IT!**

"You heard someone screaming?" Apollo asked. "Could you clarify who?"

Cress shrugged. "I don't see why not. Miss Adrian Andrews, our stage manager. I'm sure she's being called as a witness, as she's likely the one who called the police."

"And what did you do after Adrian screamed? After you came across Miss Hamme's body?" Apollo asked, certain that he wasn't going to like the answer.

Cress set aside his script with a sigh before looking the judge dead in the eye. "I went back to my dressing room. I was in a state of shock, and couldn't think clearly to call the authorities myself."

The judge glared down at the defendant imperiously. "Mr. Inpax, that is an incredibly serious lapse in judgment on your part! Why, if she'd been alive at that time, and you'd called an ambulance, then we wouldn't be having this trial!"

Cress looked away as if in shame. "I… I know. Like I said, I thought she was already dead at the time, and I was… I couldn't process what was going on. I went back to my dressing room to compose myself, and by the time I re-emerged, I was being handcuffed by the good detective we heard earlier."

"_I still don't see why I'm on trial here. I didn't have any reason to kill Lea at all."_

**HOLD IT!**

"None whatsoever?" Apollo pressed.

Cress's nose was back in his script. "No. None. We'd never exchanged any cross words."

_Wait a second… that last remark didn't sound quite right. _Apollo mused. His bracelet did not react, but he had a funny feeling in his stomach that he was about to stumble upon a major contradiction. "Your Honor! The defense requests the defendant amend his testimony to add this information!"

The judge blinked in surprise. "What? Er, very well, defendant, please amend your testimony."

At the sight of Franziska still leaning over her desk, taunting him, Apollo gritted his teeth. _I've got a bad feeling about this…_

"_I have no motive. We never exchanged any cross words."_

**OBJECTION!**

The awkward silence that followed Apollo's objection was so thick, it took Franziska's whip hitting his arms before it was broken.

"Well? You raised an objection, Mr. Apollo Justice! Explain yourself!" Franziska commanded, cracking her whip against her desk before pulling it taut.

The judge nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Mr. Justice. Explain yours- OW!"

Apollo sighed, looking down at the second picture Ema had given him. "Mr. Inpax, I'm afraid that what you've said is contradictory to both the evidence and yourself."

A nervous sweat began beading on Cress's forehead. "C-Come again?"

Apollo tried to keep the shaking out of his voice as he continued. "You've been recorded as saying when you were placed under police custody that the 'stupid woman never listened to you'. In addition, this photo, snapped by one of your castmates, captured you in the midst of an argument with the victim. With these facts in mind, why did you claim that the two of you had never had a negative exchange?"

Cress winced, losing his grip on his script with a cry of shock. Which was abruptly followed by a cry of pain as Franziska's whip found him.

The gallery was sent into a mild uproar at this news, forcing the judge to bang his gavel to bring the courtroom to order. "Order! Order in the court! Mr. Inpax, this is a terrible oversight you've made!"

Gripping the witness stand as he sweated, Cress pleaded, "Your Honor, please. I can explain! I can explain the reason for my comments made while under police custody! The reason we'd argued the day before the murder was because of her fiance! He's been abusing her for years, feeding her depression! I… might have gotten a bit overzealous in my attempts to snap her out of it, but I swear to you, I was only trying to help her in that picture!"

The silence that fell in the courtroom after this revelation was a grave one.

**OBJECTION!**

_CRACK!_

Cress recoiled in pain as the prosecutor's whip found him once again.

Franziska glared at the defendant. "Mr. Cress Inpax, you of all people should realize how absolutely preposterous this sounds."

**OBJECTION!**

"Actually, Prosecutor von Karma, his claims do make some sense! If my client and the victim had argued over this abusive fiance, then his comments would be fitting to the situa-" Apollo argued.

**OBJECTION!**

"And I suppose you have some proof of this little story, Mr. Apollo Justice? Lest you forget, this client of yours is an actor, who could easily make up this little tale on the stand!" Franziska rebutted.

**OBJECTION!**

This time, it was Cress whose voice pierced the courtroom. "Believe me or don't. I might not be able to prove the abuse that was going on, but I can prove one thing without a doubt! I _know _Lea Hamme suffered from depression! Search her dressing room, and you'll find the medication or her prescription!"

Franziska chuckled mildly. "Sadly for you, I've already taken the opportunity to be sure the victim's dressing room was thoroughly searched. We found no such thing in her dressing room or yours. But what we did find was this."

She produced a small bag containing a small piece of paper with a triumphant smirk on her face.

"And what is this?" the judge asked. "It looks like a note!"

Franziska nodded. "Indeed it is a note. One which we found in the victim's dressing room. Mr. Apollo Justice, would you care to read for me the contents of this note?"

More frightened of the lash of the whip than any damning evidence being handed to him, Apollo nodded in agreement. "'The show will end tonight by his hand.' …GAH!"

"Exactly. By _his_ hand. The victim must have known the defendant had it out for her and planned to kill her that night. So she left this note to speak the truth before her life was cruelly snuffed out." Franziska stated, following her argument with a gracious curtsy. "And that, Your Honor, is all I believe you need to know to hand down a verdict."

**OBJECTION!**

Cress's knuckles were white from his tight grip on the witness stand at this point. "Y-Your Honor, please, I honestly think that declaring a verdict at this point would be premature! Please, allow me to testify again! I… I can go into detail about the crime scene as I found it! Just. Please. Don't end the trial just yet!"

The judge appeared to be deep in thought for several moments. "Sustained. But you'd better not be wasting the court's time with this, Mr. Inpax."

Apollo's mild sweat had turned into sweating bullets. _Since when did my client start running the trial? Ugh, this is not good. This is not good at all…_

**WITNESS TESTIMONY: When I Walked Onstage**

Cress's white-knuckle grip on the witness stand only grew tighter as his voice became desperate. "Note or no note, argument or none, it doesn't matter! I couldn't have done it! By the time I arrived onstage, her feet were lifelessly hanging, practically dragging the stage floor!"

Franziska's smirk never left her face throughout the defendant's testimony. "Well, Mr. Apollo Justice, he's your witness now. But be warned, any foolish pressing of any foolish fool matters will be met by my whip!"

"And my gavel!" The judge concurred, holding up his gavel for emphasis.

"And my acts!" Trucy added with a giggle. When Apollo groaned, she pouted and asked, "What, too much?"

**CROSS EXAMINATION: When I Walked Onstage**

"_By the time I arrived onstage, her feet were lifelessly hanging, practically dragging the stage floor!"_

**OBJECTION!**

Apollo internally groaned as he realized just what he was going to have to do. "Mr. Inpax, I'm afraid that what you've said simply doesn't wash with what's shown in this photo."

Though he'd relinquished his grip on the witness stand, Cress's nervousness was clearly shown in the sweat beading on his brow. "What do you mean?"

The judge was studying the picture himself, and didn't seem to follow Apollo's statement. "Indeed, Mr. Justice, what do you mean?"

**TAKE THAT!**

Apollo pointed at the position of the victim's feet. "Your Honor, I'd like to draw your attention to Lea Hamme's feet…"

The judge nodded. "Yes, yes, those are some very nice shoes she's wearing…"

Apollo gulped nervously, ignoring the judge's comment. "No, no. I mean her feet. The distance between her feet and the stage. Mr. Inpax, if you'll look at this, I'm sure you'll realize your error. You claim Lea Hamme's feet were dragging the ground when you arrived at the scene? I'm afraid that's impossible! There's a clear 10 feet of air between the victim's feet and the ground!"

Cress's sweating only became more profuse. "Th-That… wasn't… in… the… SCRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIPT!"

As his scream on the last word drew out, Cress buried his nose deeper and deeper into his script as he feverishly flipped through it, nearly tearing out the pages before finally dropping it, gripping the witness stand and gasping for breath.

The crowd watching in the gallery' voices had risen into an uproar, forcing the judge to bang his gavel thrice. "Order! _Order! Order in this court!Mr. Inpax!_ Do you have any explanation for this massive discrepancy?"

Cress was running his fingers nervously through his wavy hair, making it stand on end. That's not possible! I'm telling you, when I got there, her feet were dragging the floor! That's the truth!"

Apollo blinked in surprise. _Not a single twitch. Nothing from my bracelet. He seems to be telling the truth. _"Your Honor, the defense-"

**OBJECTION!**

Franziska's voice forced the whole courtroom into silence. She gripped her shoulder as she said, "The defense will do nothing. The judge has already stated that if the defendant's testimony wasted this court's time, a verdict would be declared. Isn't that right, Your Honor?"

The question was punctuated with a whiplash towards the judge, which forced him to speak. "O-Oh. Yes, of course. We have seen plenty of evidence here that incriminates the defendant. I see no reason to continue prolonging this trial-"

"Apollo, you can't just let it end there!" Trucy insisted from the bench, her fists clenched. "You can see it too, right? Mr. Inpax is innocent!"

"I know that." Apollo replied. "But what am I supposed to do-?"

_If I can't come up with an objection and a very good reason for one fast, this case is over!_

* * *

**Court Record**

Attorney's Badge: My badge. I polish it every day so that it shines its best!

Autopsy Report: Victim: Lea Hamme. COD: Asphyxiation due to strangulation. Estimated TOD: 4:30pm-5:15pm 5/2. Severe but healing bruising found on her face and shoulders.

Crime Scene Photo: A picture of the victim's body suspended over the stage by the flies, sandbags piled on the sides of the stage. She's about ten feet in the air. The fly her noose is tied on is on the same level as the guard rail for the catwalk above the scene.

Fight Photograph: Taken the day before the murder. Shows the victim and the defendant arguing, the defendant holding tightly onto the victim's shoulders.

Rope: The murder weapon. No prints found on it.

Cast List Sign-In: A place where all the actors cast in a show must sign their name to be counted present. Contains all cast and crew signatures, Lea's included.

Stage Make-Up: Make-up used to create character faces onstage. Very adept at concealing a person's face.

Victim's Note: A note left by the victim. Reads: "The show will end tonight by his hand."

* * *

**Profiles**

Apollo Justice: Simply put, me. And I'm fine!

Trucy Wright: Mr. Wright's adopted daughter, and my sister. She's one of the last remaining magicians of Troupe Gramarye, and a pretty decent one at that.

Franziska von Karma: A prodigious prosecutor from Germany. She seems to have it out for my boss, for some reason. Crazy lady with a whip.

Lea Hamme: The victim, age 36. A fairly well-known stage and operatic actor/singer before her untimely death. Didn't socialize much.

Cress Inpax: My client, age 45. Also a well-known treader of the stage, more commonly known as Desmond Moore. Accused of strangling Lea Hamme.

Ema Skye: The lead detective on this case. Surly and addicted to Snackoos, which she seems to like chucking at me.


End file.
